Pocket spring surfaces



Nav. 4, 1.947. A. H. -BsNcl-l I 2,430,098

Pocxw SPRING sURFAcEs Filed June 28, 1944 2 sheets-sheet 1 E Inventor NV- 4: 1947-- l A. H. BINCH .l v 2,430,098

POCKET SPRING SURFACESv Filed June '28,v 1944 2 sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 4, 1,947

POCKET SPRING k*SURFACES Arthur Henry Bineh, Lowdham,

to William Rhodes land England, assigner Limited, Nottingham, Eng- Application J une 28, 1944, Serial No. 542,483 In Great Britain March 10, 1944 This invention is for improvement in and relating to pocket spring surfaces and has particular reference to spring surfaces for use in upholstery including chairs, settees, mattresses, bunks and the like. In the manufacture of pocket spring surfaces according to known practice coil springs are rst compressed and then inserted in openings formed in the one side of a flexible (usually textile) tube closed at each end and down the other side and formed with pockets (one for each spring) by transverse closures between each opening. A method of filling pockets of this type is described and illustrated in the speciiica` tion of British Letters Patent 410,468. Irrespective of the particular method of filling that is employed it will be appreciated that the mouth of each pocket must be opened sequentially for the admission of the compressed spring; this is com paratively slow and tedious process particularly for the reason that the pieces of fabric tend to adhere to one another and if as is usual, the compressed springs are delivered automatically in interrupted succession it not infrequently happens that the operator after filling one pocket has failed to open the next succeeding pocket before the next spring is delivered. These unused springs must then be collected, recompressed and redelivered. If the rate of delivery is reduced to allow more time for the operator to open the pockets the speed of production is necessarily reduced and the cost of manufacture thereby increased.

The present invention seeks to overcome these disadvantages and generally to provide means whereby the filling of the pockets is facilitated and expedited.

Viewed from one aspect the invention resides in the provision of a iiat iiexible (preferably textile) tube for use in the manufacture of pocket spring surfaces which tube is closed along both edges, open at one end and formed at intervals with transverse closures or sutures extending inward- 1y from at least one edge, part way across the iiat tube and leaving a longitudinal passageway at least as wide as the maximum diameter of the springs to be inserted when in a compressed condition.

The closure of the side edges may be continuous or interrupted providing that they inhibit the egress of the springs between successive transverse closures or sutures extending inwardly from the one or both edges; preferably such latter closures or sutures extend inwardly to an equal extent from each edge, the closures or sutures extending in from one edge being in line with those extending in from the other edge.

In order that the nature of the invention may be more readily understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates by way of example a, length of flexible tube suitable for use in the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmental side elevational view'of aV suitable type of machine for compressing and delivering coil springs to flexible tubes of the type illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan View illustrating the lilling operation.

Figure 4 is a section on line A-A ofv Figure. 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a spring pocket seats ing surface constructed in accordance with this,

invention.

Referring firstly to Figure l the iiat tube gener-` ally indicated at l is conveniently of woven. cob1 ton fabric but any other suitable exible material may be employed. It comprises an upper and lower layer or ply of fabric 2 and 3 joined alongy each edgev 4 and 5. The fabric may be woven in the form of a flat tube closed along both edges 4 and 5 or along onli7 one of such edges and if: so formed the connecting means may form the Seli/,edges or one thereof or otherwise as desired;

alternatively one or both edges 4 and 5 maybe joined by stitching or other suitable means. The distance between the connecting means 4 and 5 is substantially equal to the length of the axis of each spring (the springs being substantially iden tical with one another) when relaxed. Extending inwardly from each connecting means 4 and 5 are transverse connecting means 6 and 'l respectively; these may be formed as sutures during weaving or be formed by stitching or other suitable means. The transverse connecting means divide the tube interior into a succession of spring-receiving pockets, and their spacing lengthwise of the tube approximates to half the circumference of a spring. Each connecting means 6 is in line with a connecting means 1 and the distance between the inner ends 6a and 'la of a pair of aligned connecting means 6, 1 is at least equal to and preferably slightly greater than the maximum diameter of the springs.

In this manner a series of pockets is formed in the member I each pocket being bounded by adjacent connecting means 6 and the opposed connecting means 'I and the connecting part of the connecting means 4 and 5, and axially of the tube a passageway between the inner ends 6a and 'la of the connecting means 6 and 1 is formed for the passage of the springs along the tube.

The method of lling the pockets is best illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4. In Figure 2 there is shown a machine of the type described in the specification of British Patent No. 410,468 in which coiled springs 3 are compressed and urged between spaced sprung plates 9 and l0; the lower plate ID extends beyond the upper plate and the springs are intermittently and sequentially delivered as they are pushed along plate i beyond the extreme end of plate 9. In carrying the present invention into eiect the plates 9 and l0 are extended and on to such plates a length of tube j is fed and bunched up beyond the extreme end of plate 9; in feeding the tube onto the plates such plates pass along the passageway between the ends of the connecting means 6a, 1a. The tube so hunched is now intermittently withdrawn oi the plates, the rate of Withdrawal being equal to the rate of delivery of the springs and the method of withdrawal (which is eiected manually) being such that the said pockets are sequentially brought into operative registry with a spring as it is released from between the plates 9 and l0. The spring so released is now positioned (still in compressed condition) within the pocket and the operator as soon as the pocketed spring has been pulled manually off the lower plate I0 twists the spring through 90 so that its axis lies normal to the tube I; this twisting process is assisted by the natural tendency of the spring to expand. The spring on expansion (as at the right hand end of Figs. 3 and 4) lls out the pocket and is prevented from movement in the direction of its axis by the connecting means 4 and 5 and in a direction normal to its axis by the connecting means B and 1. In Figures 2 and 3 the one spring 8a is shown still retained by the upper plate 9; one connecting means 6 and opposite connecting means 1, are shown to the left of such spring; the tube I will be pulled to the right until the said connecting means are just beyond the end of plate 9 so that as soon as spring 8a is pushed outwardly beyond such plate it will occupy the pocket and as soon as the tube with pocket is pulled clear of the lower plate I0 the operator can twist the spring as described. In Figures 3 and 4 there are shown two springs that have been twisted in this manner.

It will be appreciated that the tube may be of any desired length, determined solely by the length that may be bunched on the arms 9 and I0; the speed of filling can be considerably increased over and above the previous known methods and there is no risk of springs being ejected without being received in one of the pockets.

In the construction shown the connecting means 6 and 1 are of equal length; this is the preferred arrangement but they may be of different lengths or one of the connecting means say 6 may be dispensed with and the connecting means 'l extended accordingly.

In the embodiment illustrated the connecting means 4 and 5 are shown as continuous connecting means but it will be appreciated that they need not be continuous and may if desired, be interrupted always provided they eiectively inhibit egress of the springs after being inserted.

Lengths of pocketed springs in accordance with the invention may be used for upholstery purposes in known manner and a plurality of lengths may be connected to one another such as by staples Il to form a pocketed spring seating surface as indicated in Figure 5.

I claim:

A fiat tube for containing coil springs, comprising two superposed layers of flexible sheet material joined together along their corresponding longitudinal edges, means extending transversely of each of said longitudinal edges in corresponding oppositely aligned pairs at spaced intervals, connecting said layers to form a succession of pockets thereon, the elements of each pair oi said means extending only part Way across the width of said layers and being spaced apart transversely a distance at least equal to the maximum diameter of the springs to be inserted, whereby a passageway is formed between successive pockets for the passage of the springs.

ARTHUR. HENRY BINCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,352,157 Suekoi Sept. '7, 1920 1,777,020 Schneider Sept. 30, 1930 2,148,118 Gleason Feb. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 350,787 Great Britain June 18, 1931 

